Building structures like walls of concrete block or poured concrete tend to absorb moisture which over time adversely effects their structural integrity. Subterranean foundation walls are especially at risk, particularly in buildings under construction and in geographic areas of high precipitation or with inadequate water drainage through local ground soil. Water accumulation on an external surface of a subterranean foundation wall can result in significant hydraulic pressure on the wall which may cause severe structural damage. Subterranean water below a basement floor may also produce hydraulic pressure causing the floor to heave and shift laterally which may likewise result in severe structural damage. In some instances water rises above and flows over the wall into the interior basement and, more commonly, water and moisture seep through form tie rod holes and cracks in the walls and floor. In any event, water seepage causes structural damage and even small amounts of moisture can irreparably damage architectural and interior appurtenances as well as personal property. Water and moisture may also seep into the interior basement through an interface between the foundation wall and an adjacent footing which supports the wall. This is especially true when the basement floor forms a bond with the footing preventing water from flowing between the footing and the floor bottom toward a drain in the porous fill below the floor. This results in water being forced, by external pressure, up between the floor and the wall and into the basement. It is not uncommon to apply a vapor barrier between the bottom of the floor and the porous fill on which the floor is poured, and in some cases the vapor barrier does help to reduce bonding between the floor and the footing permitting the water to flow into the fill where it is eliminated through the inside drainage system. In most instances however the vapor barrier is not installed along the entire bottom of the floor, and in any event the barrier does not provide for unobstructed drainage of water to the water drainage system below the floor. It is therefore important to prevent water accumulation on either side of the walls and floor to reduce hydraulic pressure and to prevent water and moisture seepage through structural interfaces and into the interior basement. As a practical matter, however, it is only possible to reduce hydraulic pressure and to reduce water seepage as discussed below. It is also important to control water and moisture that seeps through the structural interfaces, cracks, form tie rod holes, honeycombed concrete, and over the wall structure to prevent accumulation of water and moisture on the basement floor.
It is well known to provide a drainage conduit or tile along the outer perimeter which directs water away from the wall and into a sewer or drainage system to relieve hydraulic pressure on the wall. It is also known to provide a similarly arranged drainage conduit about the perimeter of the interior of the wall and below the basement floor. Water drainage on the exterior surface of the wall has been improved upon by disposing a system of panels against the exterior surface of the wall to form a water barrier. In subterranean or underground foundation walls, the panels are usually located between the outer foundation wall and ground fill and extend from the top to the bottom of the wall often extending over the foundation footing. The panels are generally formed of a waterproof material and include protrusions extending toward the outer foundation wall surface to form an air space between the panel and the wall, and vertically arranged channels or conduits along an outer surface of the panel which direct water downward and away from the foundation wall toward the drainage system to reduce hydrostatic pressure. A variety of methods for adhering the panels to the wall and for interconnecting the adjacent panels are also known. In some systems, panels are adhered to the walls by an adhesive and adjacent panels are interconnected by waterproof joints often including flashing along an upper edge to provide a more waterproof barrier. More sophisticated systems include a water permeable filter layered on an outer surface of the panels which allows passage of water through the filter toward the drainage channels of the panels but prevents the passage of particulate matter which may clog or obstruct the channels and the drainage system. Systems of panels applied to the exterior wall surface however are intended primarily for providing a water barrier which protects the exterior surface of subterranean foundation walls from water in the ground fill. Such an exterior panel system provides an exterior water barrier which relieves hydraulic pressure and waterproofs the walls in the first instance. But it does not address the problem of controlling water which traverses the barrier or seeps through structural interfaces and cracks. Further, exterior panels do not prevent nor control water that has flowed over the foundation wall or control subterranean water that seeps through the interface between the foundation wall and the footing for lack of adequate drainage cause by clogged drain tiles or compromises in the waterproofing of the exterior panel.
One proposal for controlling water which seeps into the interior basement by flowing over the wall, through cracks in the wall, or through the interfaces between the wall and footing includes providing an L-shaped corrugated panel between a side surface of the floor adjacent the interior wall and a bottom surface of the floor adjacent the footing. The corrugations of the panel are arranged and aligned to permit water to flow down between the wall and the floor and then between the footing and the bottom of the floor to the drainage system below the floor. The L-shaped panel is generally comprised of sections which are arranged adjacent to one another along the interior base of the wall and footing before the concrete floor is poured. In some instances the corrugated panels are formed of a plastic, but the panels may also be formed of biodegradable materials sufficiently rigid to maintain its shape until after the concrete floor is set, and then over a period of time the biodegradable material degrades and is ultimately flushed away through the drainage system. Other embodiments include variations on the corrugation pattern which permit appropriate drainage of water. The L-shaped panel is generally formed by partially scoring or slitting through one side of the corrugation and then folding the panel along the slit. The slit panel however has the disadvantage that it permits moisture to seep through the slit and to contact and ultimately permeate the floor. The prior art panels also include portions on one side which contact the wall and the footing, and portions on an opposing side which contact the floor. The portions of the panel which contact wall and the footing allow substantial portions of the poured concrete floor to come into contact with the wall and footing, through the panel, for the explicit purpose of preventing movement or shifting of the floor which allegedly prevents cracking of the walls, footing and floor. In a system of these corrugated panels, a series of spaced water conduits is formed and extends between the interior wall, footing and floor to direct water to the drainage system below the floor. Between the spaced water conduits the side of the floor is in abutment with the wall and the bottom of the floor is in abutment with the footing, acting of course directly through the panels and resulting in the substantial contact between he floor and the walls and footing. This substantial contact however has the disadvantage that the floor is not able to expand and contract without causing cracking. More specifically, the contact between the sides of the floor and the interior wall surface tends to prevent expansion of the floor which may result in buckling of the floor and shifting or cracking of the walls. Further, the substantial contact between the floor and the footing in prior art systems results in substantial bonding or at least substantial friction which inhibits expansion and contraction. The substantial contact likewise inhibits expansion and contraction of the walls and footing which may also result in cracking, improper shifting and heaving. Moreover, absent an ability to expand and contract, the interior basement floor becomes locked and is especially vulnerable to cracking at its corners. These problems are particularly severe during construction and in regions of extreme temperature and moisture variation where expansion and contraction of concrete is most significant. It is therefore not only important to control water flow at structural interfaces, but also to permit expansion and contraction of structural components like walls, footings and floors.
In view of the discussion above, there exists a demonstrated need for an advancement in the art of controlling water and moisture at a structural interface, and in particular in subterranean environments.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for controlling water and moisture at a structural interface while permitting expansion and contraction of the structure.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for controlling water and moisture at a structural interface while permitting expansion and contraction of the structure that is economical and easy to install.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed toward a novel method and apparatus for controlling water at an interface between a wall supported by a footing and a floor with a side surface adjacent the wall and a bottom surface adjacent the footing with a pliable panel disposed between the wall and the side surface of the floor and between the footing and the bottom surface of the floor to substantially isolate the floor from the wall and the footing. The panel includes a water flow path between the wall and the side surface of the floor and between the footing and the bottom surface of the floor, wherein the pliable panel permits expansion and contraction of the floor, walls and footing. In one embodiment, the panel includes a first layer separated from a second layer by a series of ribs which form drainage channels extending from a top portion of the panel to a bottom portion of the panel to define the water flow path, and a series of slits across the panel substantially transverse to the series of ribs. The slits extend through the second layer and at least partially through the series of ribs to permit folding of the panel along one or more of the slits to form a substantially L-shaped panel. The first layer of the panel is disposed adjacent the side and bottom surfaces of the floor, and the second layer is disposed adjacent the wall and the footing so that the fold is along an interface between the wall and footing. At least the first layer extends into crushed rock fill disposed below the floor to direct water toward a water drainage system. In an alternative embodiment, the panel includes a first layer with a film having an array of dome-shaped air pockets adhered to a backside of the first layer. Spaces between the dome-shaped air pockets define the water flow path. In another embodiment, the panel includes a first layer with a corrugated layer adhered to a backside of the first layer, wherein the corrugated layer forms drainage channels extending from a top portion of the panel to a bottom portion of the panel to define the water flow path. A series of slits are formed across the panel substantially transverse to the drainage channels formed by the corrugated layer, which extend at least partially through the corrugated layer. The panel is foldable along one or more of the slits to form a substantially L-shaped panel, the first layer disposed adjacent the side and bottom surfaces of the floor, and the corrugated layer disposed adjacent the wall and the footing so that the fold is along an interface between the wall and footing. In all embodiments, the panels preferably include a flap for directing the seepage away from the floor bottom and into crushed stone below the floor and toward the drainage system. A reference line formed on the top portion of the first layer for alignment during installation, and a mastic disposed on the upper portion of the second layer for adhering the panel to the wall during installation. The panels are all preferably formed of a pliable plastic which permits expansion and contraction of the wall, footing and floor while water is directed into the water flow path to the water drainage system.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following Detailed Description of the Invention with the accompanying drawings which are not necessarily drawn to scale to assist comprehension of the invention by those skilled in the art.